Did a little experiment this morning. I put my new FOBO bluetooth TPMS sensors (external) on my bike that has the Orange (internal) TPMS installed. I wanted to see how things compared.
Starting with the main dispaly. The Orange has a hardwired unit that is weahterproof, mounts somewhere of your choice on the dash. Two buttons and combinations of presses let you do programing of high/low temperature warnings, over temperature warning and the normally blue background flashes red when you exceed one of your pre-sets. Mating the sensors to the unit is not too hard, just lower tire pressure to 10-20 psi and it'll pick it up and assign it to the slot you choose. You can measure in bar, kpa, psi, ˚F, ˚C. The FOBO uses your smart phone. So any and all setting are customizable and the pairing sequence is easy and similar to many other bluetooth devices.
For myself, I prefer the fixed and hardwired display of the Orange. A little harder to program and customize, but it's always there, always ready to go. Can't leave it behind. But the reality, I rarely go anywhere on the bike with out my phone. It has a dedicated mount on the bike. Big easy to read display and can pump audible messages of tire events into my headset.
The tire pressure was right on equivalent level between the two. The FOBO unit will allow for temperature compensated pressure (but read below for the design flaw). I more fear the the external sensors will allow some air leakage. The internal sensors have the old reliable valve core to keep things sealed. The FOBO unit pushes the valve core out of the way and relies on it's seal to your valve stem to remain airtight.
Both displayed the same readings (give or take), the FOBO was displaying in one-tenth increments, the Orange rounds it off to the whole number.
Temperature readings, both units do it. But one reads from the end of a inch long metal stem while swinging around in the ambient air. The other is sitting insulated from teh outside air inside the tire cavity. Guess where the reading are more accurate.
Rolling out of the garage they were both reading about the same. Good news I though. Ambient air temperature was around 30˚F. After 42 miles of highway blasting at 70 (give or take judge) I was measuring 34/55 on the FOBO, Orange was measuring 62/75 (Front rear respectively). Plenty of time for the warm air to get to the FOBO units, but the metal valve stem and sensors swinging in free air will prevent them from every really seeing it. In less extreme cold the sensors may be more accurate, but they will always be less then idea for monitoring the tire carcass' true temperature.
So if the FOBO unit is doing temperature compensated pressure how can it be reliable when it's temperature sure is not.
Another issue.. if the tire a FOBO unit develops a catastrophic failure you will possibly not be alerted. Now if this is on your bike I think you will realize it anyway, but if it on a trailer you are pulling, you may not. If the pressure drops to zero in under 8 seconds the FOBO unit just thinks it was removed from the valve stem and this is SOP.
Two strikes against FOBO, but one up for it. You can program the nominal reading and it will alert you if you deviate, outside of the alerts it gives if you are at the extreme levels. Also the FOBO unit can put the sensors into a high-power mode. If you are pulling a trailer and the distance/interference is preventing the signal from coming through, kick the sensors up in power (with a reduction in battery life) and all might be good.
Speaking of reduction in battery life, the batteries on the FOBO units can be changed, the Orange can not. And that might be the death of my love of my Orange unit. I can buy a whole FOBO kit for less then the cost of a pair of replacement Orange sensors.
Hmmm...
Starting with the main dispaly. The Orange has a hardwired unit that is weahterproof, mounts somewhere of your choice on the dash. Two buttons and combinations of presses let you do programing of high/low temperature warnings, over temperature warning and the normally blue background flashes red when you exceed one of your pre-sets. Mating the sensors to the unit is not too hard, just lower tire pressure to 10-20 psi and it'll pick it up and assign it to the slot you choose. You can measure in bar, kpa, psi, ˚F, ˚C. The FOBO uses your smart phone. So any and all setting are customizable and the pairing sequence is easy and similar to many other bluetooth devices.
For myself, I prefer the fixed and hardwired display of the Orange. A little harder to program and customize, but it's always there, always ready to go. Can't leave it behind. But the reality, I rarely go anywhere on the bike with out my phone. It has a dedicated mount on the bike. Big easy to read display and can pump audible messages of tire events into my headset.
The tire pressure was right on equivalent level between the two. The FOBO unit will allow for temperature compensated pressure (but read below for the design flaw). I more fear the the external sensors will allow some air leakage. The internal sensors have the old reliable valve core to keep things sealed. The FOBO unit pushes the valve core out of the way and relies on it's seal to your valve stem to remain airtight.
Both displayed the same readings (give or take), the FOBO was displaying in one-tenth increments, the Orange rounds it off to the whole number.
Temperature readings, both units do it. But one reads from the end of a inch long metal stem while swinging around in the ambient air. The other is sitting insulated from teh outside air inside the tire cavity. Guess where the reading are more accurate.
Rolling out of the garage they were both reading about the same. Good news I though. Ambient air temperature was around 30˚F. After 42 miles of highway blasting at 70 (give or take judge) I was measuring 34/55 on the FOBO, Orange was measuring 62/75 (Front rear respectively). Plenty of time for the warm air to get to the FOBO units, but the metal valve stem and sensors swinging in free air will prevent them from every really seeing it. In less extreme cold the sensors may be more accurate, but they will always be less then idea for monitoring the tire carcass' true temperature.
So if the FOBO unit is doing temperature compensated pressure how can it be reliable when it's temperature sure is not.
Another issue.. if the tire a FOBO unit develops a catastrophic failure you will possibly not be alerted. Now if this is on your bike I think you will realize it anyway, but if it on a trailer you are pulling, you may not. If the pressure drops to zero in under 8 seconds the FOBO unit just thinks it was removed from the valve stem and this is SOP.
Two strikes against FOBO, but one up for it. You can program the nominal reading and it will alert you if you deviate, outside of the alerts it gives if you are at the extreme levels. Also the FOBO unit can put the sensors into a high-power mode. If you are pulling a trailer and the distance/interference is preventing the signal from coming through, kick the sensors up in power (with a reduction in battery life) and all might be good.
Speaking of reduction in battery life, the batteries on the FOBO units can be changed, the Orange can not. And that might be the death of my love of my Orange unit. I can buy a whole FOBO kit for less then the cost of a pair of replacement Orange sensors.
Hmmm...